Personal Growth

Like One Man With One Heart
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Like One Man With One Heart

How to Fulfill the Mitzvah of 'You Shall Love Your Fellow as Yourself': Commenting on the fact that Shemot 19:2 describes Am Yisrael using the plural וַיַּחֲנוּ (and they encamped) and then just two words later describes it using the singular וַיִּחַן (and it encamped), Rashi famously writes that they had achieved a level of...

To Sleep Like a Horse

To Sleep Like a Horse

How to Come Out from Under the Control of the Sitra Achra: Imagine a prison, a fairly standard prison – at least standard in the way that many prisons used to be. From sunrise to sunset, the prisoners are forced into hard labor. They don't get much time to rest and they're not allowed to...

Is the Goal Just to be Yotzi a Mitzvah?

Is the Goal Just to be Yotzi a Mitzvah?

Regarding the meaning of the words וּלְחֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ (and for those who thought about His name) from Malachi 3:16, Rav Ashi taught (Berachot 6a): חָשַׁב אָדָם לַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוָה וְנֶאֱנַס וְלֹא עֲשָׂאָהּ מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִילּוּ עֲשָׂאָהּ (If a person thought to do a mitzvah but was prevented against his will, and he didn't do it,...

Lost and Found
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Lost and Found

The Role of the Tzaddikim in Finding What We Lost: R' Simlai taught the following Baraita about the developing Jewish child in his mother's womb (Niddah 30b): ונר דלוק לו על ראשו וצופה ומביט מסוף העולם ועד סופו...ואין לך ימים שאדם שרוי בטובה יותר מאותן הימים...ומלמדין אותו כל התורה כולה...וכיון שבא לאויר העולם בא מלאך...

Innocent or Guilty? It's the Jury's Decision
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Innocent or Guilty? It's the Jury's Decision

A Generation that is Entirely Innocent or Entirely Guilty: R' Yochanan taught (Sanhedrin 98a): אין בן דוד בא אלא בדור שכולו זכאי או כולו חייב. בדור שכולו זכאי דכתיב (ישעיהו ס, כא) ועמך כולם צדיקים לעולם יירשו ארץ בדור שכולו חייב דכתיב (ישעיהו נט, טז) וירא כי אין איש וישתומם כי אין מפגיע וכתיב (ישעיהו...

Don't Give Up – You are Hashem's Whole Desire
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Don't Give Up – You are Hashem's Whole Desire

The Incredible Journey of Eternal Soulmates: Life has been difficult lately – not just here in Eretz Yisrael but everywhere. And when life is difficult all over, people have a tendency to lose hope and get depressed. They begin by wondering if their life has any meaning or if Hashem bothers to pay any attention...

The Danger of Relying on Self-Evaluation
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The Danger of Relying on Self-Evaluation

The Dispute Between Zimri and Pinchas: The Gemara in Berachot 32a offers different 'proof texts' to show that Moshe Rabbeinu spoke somewhat impertinently [הֵטִיחַ דְּבָרִים כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה, literally, 'he threw his words upward'] to Ha-Kadosh, baruch Hu when he sought to defend B'nei Yisrael on account of their sins. One such case was in defense...